Sometimes the simplest yet most profound messages come to us from the unlikeliest of sources. In many cases, those messengers deliver their insights metaphorically and unwittingly, with an almost “innocent” nature, as if to give license to the notion of “out of the mouths of babes.” So imagine how valuable that information can be when its impact is significant and inspired and comes at a time when the stakes are at their highest.
Ah, motherhood – it’s one of those notions that, in the minds of many, is sacrosanct, inviolable and beyond reproach. Indeed, they believe, there is no more noble a calling than this, a venture that every woman should feel honored to experience. But is that really the case? Is it truly everything it’s said to be? In fact, isn’t it possible that some women who find themselves in this role aren’t cut out for it and innately regret having taken that step?
Many of us these days are experiencing a certain inexplicable unsettledness with our lives, a constant sense of frustration and restlessness that seems to defy explanation – or resolution. Because of those conditions, we may also find ourselves becoming increasingly aggravated, with our fuses growing progressively shorter. And, no matter what we might do to try and address these circumstances, it often feels like nothing works, that the irritation is perpetual and unrelenting.
It’s that time of year again – time for my predictions of the winners at the upcoming annual Academy Awards. For me, this is generally a labor of love, but this year’s awards season has been strange – wild, unpredictable and, ultimately, often frustrating, which has made looking into my cinematic crystal ball far more difficult than in most years.
The search for self is a process that many of us believe we complete when we come of age. However, as we often later discover, it’s something we need to revisit as the circumstances of our lives evolve. In fact, we might find that this is an ongoing, life-long process that requires continual vigilance and assessment. That can be confusing, if not disconcerting, particularly if we assume we’ve arrived at all the answers we need at an earlier stage of life.
Change often carries a cost. At the same time, though, it’s also accompanied by unexpected rewards. In either case, however, we frequently don’t recognize what’s coming, what it might entail and how it could affect us. What’s more, a lack of awareness of what’s unfolding can place us in a seriously compromised position.
Childhood is the time of life when we form our views about how the world works and what it potentially has in store for us. It presents us with a variety of options for how we come to regard it, either positively or negatively or somewhere in between, a perspective often determined by the circumstances to which we’re exposed. But what matters most in all this is what we end up doing with our beliefs about these conditions and experiences, as they ultimately shape what unfolds going forward.
It’s never easy to face difficult situations, especially when they’re impending and it seems as though they’re inevitable, circumstances in which there’s nothing we can do about them. Indeed, it’s hard enough for us as adults to process and cope with such conditions, but how are children supposed to handle these kinds of situations? Youngsters seldom possess the experience and wisdom needed to deal with their feelings.
Questions related to immigration have been asked with increasing frequency in recent years. This has been particularly true where illegal entry has been concerned, providing considerable fodder for widespread public debate. But what of legal immigration – is that a benign subject, one worthy of little attention or recognition? Indeed, if would-be immigrants are doing everything by the book, there shouldn’t be any concerns, right?
Given humanity’s tremendous capacity for compassion and benevolence, it’s somewhat hard to believe that we’re also capable of qualities at the opposite end of the spectrum. When we consider the magnanimity we often exhibit in times of crisis, it’s difficult to fathom how we can also demonstrate troubling degrees of callous, uncaring indifference toward our fellow man. Yet, if we examine the scope of human history, we can’t willfully ignore the many instances of cruel disregard and unspeakable atrocities we’ve inflicted on others.
